Boomer Connections This Boomer's Life

After reading my business partner’s article about her Dad (My Dad by Cherie Blazer), it sparked memories for me. My Dad came from a family of four boys and two girls with Dad being the second oldest son. He was named after his father. His name is Otis Lee Brooks, Jr. Mom’s family consisted of four boys and six girls. Mom was the oldest daughter and the second child. Both Dad and Mom worked on their family’s farm until Dad went off to war. Dad, along with his brothers and sisters, worked on his father’s 100-acre farm near Huntsville, Ala. He drove teams of mules and tractors so that the family could cultivate cotton, corn, hay, and vegetables. He also fed and tended to the livestock and poultry besides the general farm work.

Dad enlisted in the Army as a truck driver. He served in the European Theatre with the 4049th Quartermaster Truck Company in Normandy; Northern France; Ardennes; Rhineland; and Central Europe. He drove vehicles up to 2½ ton capacity which transported gasoline, ammunition, supplies, and personnel. Dad had an honorable discharge and was decorated with the Good Conduct Medal AR 600-68. I wanted to know more about these medals so I researched them. Usually, this particular medal was given after serving for three Federal military years. These military medals could also be awarded for one year of service after December 7, 1941, while the

U.S. was still at war. The award was not automatic and required certification by a commanding officer (usually a battalion commander or higher). That made me proud to know Dad had received this medal. Another medal he obtained was the WWII Victory Medal. To get this award a veteran served at least 1 day prior to December 31, 1946, in order to qualify for this award. The last medal he received was the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal with one Silver Star. This medal was awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces for at least 30 days of consecutive (60 days nonconsecutive) service within the European Theater of Operations between December 7, 1941, and November 8, 1945, (lesser periods qualify if the individual was in actual combat against the enemy during this period).

Upon his return home, he and Mom were married. Dad was hired at the John Marshall Space flight center where he started out as a forklift operator and then as a fabricator. Mom worked at the Huntsville Cleaners laundry as a presser. They were married for eight years before their bouncing baby girl (Rita) came along. I was the first of three girls. We lived in the housing projects until I was in the third grade and then they bought their first home.

The house they bought was a Ryan Home. It had three bedrooms and one bath. We were the perfect little family. Dad, Mom, three kids, a home and one car (a blue four-door Chevrolet). Dad and Mom were both hard workers. They made sure we always had food on the table and a roof over our heads. Mom made sure we had clean clothes for church and school because she was also a seamstress. All she had to do was make her own pattern out of newspaper and the next thing you knew you had a new skirt or dress.

Although Dad was a hard worker, he was also the type of man that liked to spend time with his buddies. Whether he was making homemade corn liquor, going to their clubhouse or going fishing together.  (See my article Gone Fishing! A Father’s Day Remembrance.)

I really didn’t get a chance to spend a significant amount of time with my Dad until after he retired. It was then that I learned a lot about both Mom and Dad. I had the chance to spend time with both of them before they passed away, Mom at the age of 77 and Dad at the age of 90.

Thanks Mom, thanks Dad for raising me to be a responsible God fearing woman.